CN209899704U - Orthopedic support - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model discloses an orthopedics support, include: at least one holder for fitting to a body part; at least one lesion detector connected to the at least one holder for obtaining biomedical parameters of inflammation or other lesion symptoms. The utility model provides an orthopedics support can be dressed on the human body, can detect the sign of inflammation and embody the abnormal motion of typical articular lesion with vertical mode, can be used to guide the treatment, can effectively alleviate the patient regularly see doctor's time and the burden on the economy, simple structure, and convenient to use has extremely strong practical value, is worth extensively popularizing and applying.

Description

Orthopedic support

Technical Field

The utility model relates to an orthopedics support specifically says so, relates to an orthopedics support (also called intelligent support, wearable equipment or device) including pathological change detector, belongs to medical equipment technical field.

Background

Joint problems are often caused by aging and degeneration (e.g., osteoarthritis), or ligament damage (e.g., sprains and strains), among others. Reduced joint lubrication or loss of cushioning cartilage can lead to joint pain, and joint ligament dysfunction also often leads to movement abnormalities. Orthopedic braces are commonly used to share joint load and may limit abnormal movement of the joint to reduce pain and aid in healing. Since joint healing is a progressive process, patients must regularly visit a physician to examine their injured joint and receive intervention or prescriptions to maintain a normal healing process. However, regularly visiting a doctor is both a time and economic burden for the patient and his or her doctor and other associated medical service providers. Therefore, there is a need to develop a device that can detect signs of inflammation and abnormal motion that is characteristic of joint pathology in a longitudinal manner for guiding the treatment.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In view of the above problems of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an orthopedic support (also called smart support) provided with a lesion detector capable of detecting abnormal conditions (e.g., inflammation) from a body part such as a joint.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the utility model adopts the following technical scheme:

an orthopedic support (also known as a wearable device) comprising:

at least one anchor (e.g., an elastic band) for fitting to a body part (e.g., a chest, head, limb, joint, torso, or other limb part);

at least one lesion detector connected to the at least one holder for obtaining biomedical parameters of inflammation or other lesion symptoms. Accordingly, the lesion detector comprises an inflammation detector. The orthopedic support can be assembled on bras, hats, sleeves, clothes, gloves, shoes, insoles, skin patches, trousers, underwear and the like.

As an embodiment, the at least one lesion detector comprises any one or a combination of any of a temperature sensor, a color sensor, a bending sensor, a stretching sensor, a geographical position sensor, a humidity sensor, a motion sensor, a displacement sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gravity sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a pulse sensor, an oxygen saturation sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a tactile sensor for continuously reading measurements from the affected body part.

As an embodiment, the at least one lesion detector includes a first detector for fitting to a first part of the human body and a second detector for fitting to a second part of the human body.

Preferably, the at least one anchor includes a first anchor for fitting to a reference site of the human body, and a second anchor for fitting to an injured site of the human body; the first and second detectors are fitted to the human body by the first and second holders, respectively. For example: the orthopedic brace may include a left knee brace having a first multi-temperature sensor, and a right knee brace having a second multi-temperature sensor; the left knee brace and the right knee brace have the same shape, size and material, while the sensors have the same distribution or location on their respective braces; in use, with the left knee brace attached to a healthy knee of a patient and the right knee brace attached to an injured knee of the patient, temperature measurements can be taken at respective locations of the two knee braces to easily identify, record and analyze higher body temperature data at the injured knee; thus, whether by means of the patient's smartphone or by means of a personal computer wired to the knee brace or to the temperature sensor, the doctor can quickly and reliably identify the recovery, inflammation or any other abnormality of the injured knee by means of the electrical signals from the knee brace. Another example is: the knee brace can be worn on an injured knee alone, embedding a temperature sensor (or an infrared sensor) at a critical position of the knee brace so as to be able to detect temperature; for example, the temperature on the patella and the iliotibial band may be relatively lower than the temperature in other areas around the patella due to the lower vascularity of the area around the patella and the patella's good thermal conductivity, i.e. heat dissipation quickly, so that the temperature on the patella and/or the iliotibial band may be used as a reference temperature, i.e. a reference temperature, and the temperature sensor may be placed in the superior capsule of the patella or the inferior fossa of the patella.

As an embodiment, the at least one lesion detector comprises a plurality of sensors of the same type, operable to calibrate differences between output values of the plurality of sensors of the same type with respect to each other.

Preferably, the plurality of sensors of the same type comprise a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, operable to measure temperature values at different locations of the joint and surrounding tissue in order to discover lesions.

Preferably, the plurality of sensors of the same type comprise a first colour sensor and a second colour sensor, which can be used to monitor colour at different locations of the joint in order to find lesions. Generally, areas with inflammation become swollen, warm and red, and generally fair-skinned patients have relatively pronounced redness, while darker-skinned patients may have less pronounced skin color changes, so that in some cases orthopedic braces (also known as wearable devices) are able to detect different colors to identify inflammation.

As an embodiment, at least one of the anchors comprises a detachable fastening means to remove said at least one anchor from said body part.

Preferably, the detachable fastening means comprises an open end, which is detachable to wrap around a body part (e.g. a knee). For example: the detachable fixing means comprises a bandage, which also comprises a plurality of bandages for tight fixation to the body part of the patient, and which may also comprise fasteners for limiting the circumference or length of the orthopaedic support.

In one embodiment, at least one of the anchors includes a flexible portion for conforming to the contours of the associated body part.

As an embodiment, the orthopedic support further comprises:

a microprocessor connected to the at least one lesion detector for processing signals from the at least one lesion detector;

a computer memory coupled to the microprocessor for storing the signal;

a communication terminal, further connected to the microprocessor, for transmitting signals; the communication terminal includes a wireless communication terminal, which may include a short-range wireless communication terminal (e.g., ANT +, Bluetooth, cellular, IEEE802.15.4, IEEE 802.22, ISA 100a, infrared, ISM band, Near Field Communication (NFC), RFID, 6LowWPAN, UWB, Wi-Fi, WiHART, Wireless high definition, Wireless USB, ZigBee, Z-Wave); the short-range wireless communication terminal may include a bluetooth terminal;

a connector additionally connected to the microprocessor for powering the microprocessor.

Preferably, the orthopaedic support (also called wearable device) further comprises an indicator, connected to the microprocessor, which can be used to alert a user (e.g. patient, doctor) of the orthopaedic support.

As a further preference, the indicator comprises an audio indicator, a visual indicator, a vibratory/tactile indicator or a combination of these indicators.

Preferably, the orthopaedic support further comprises a generator (for example, by dynamic movement of the joint, solar panel or both) connected to the connector to power the microprocessor.

As a further preferred option, the orthopaedic support may further comprise a rechargeable battery, which is reusable, and which is connected to the generator, the connector or both.

Preferably, the orthopaedic scaffold may include a local data storage device.

The orthopedic support of the present invention can be used for rehabilitation devices for joint healing, which can include a computing server remotely connected to a medical provider (e.g., hospital, clinic) of the orthopedic support. The computer server operating principle may be communication with the orthopaedic stand, either directly or via a mobile phone or both, to monitor the joints and/or send commands and signals. The rehabilitation device may also include a computer for the clinician connected to the hospital computing server via a network, which may include a portable computer. Rehabilitation tracking and feedback instructions and signals may also be generated by the local computing device. In use, a point of care (point of care) document is provided by a computer server in the rehabilitation device. Point of care documents allow clinicians to communicate with patients and record clinical information as care is provided. Point-of-care documents are intended to help clinicians minimize the time spent by documents and maximize patient care time.

The utility model discloses when above-mentioned orthopedics support was applied to recovered equipment, orthopedics support can detect pathological change or produce the plan of action and exercise by the user according to the reference value. Orthopedic stents may transmit signals through visual, auditory, mechanical, thermal or electrical stimulation or any combination of the above stimuli. Such an orthopaedic stent may further transmit a signal that will guide the user to take measurements that cannot currently be taken by the orthopaedic stent, such as confirming or denying a lesion. Orthopedic braces can also send user signals to perform actions for improving the condition of the body and provide feedback as to whether or not these actions were successful and accurate. In addition, orthopedic braces can also deliver signals to educate, remind, stimulate and motivate the user to perform actions and exercises that improve the physical condition. An orthopedic brace can receive a specific set of instructions to perform a series of exercises. Orthopedic braces have the ability to receive a particular set of instructions over a small range of geographic locations. Orthopedic braces are capable of assessing or measuring whether a user is following a prescribed series of actions or exercises. Orthopedic braces can readily convey the level or degree to which a user is following a prescribed series of actions or exercises.

Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the advantages of:

the utility model provides an orthopedic support, including at least one fixer that is used for assembling the human body position, still include at least one pathological change detector, connect in on the at least one fixer for obtain the biomedical parameter of inflammation or other pathological change symptoms. Can dress to the human body, can detect the sign of inflammation and embody the abnormal motion of typical joint pathological change with vertical mode, can be used to guide the treatment, can effectively alleviate the patient and regularly see doctor's time and economic burden, simple structure, convenient to use has extremely strong practical value, is worth extensively popularizing and applying.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a front view of the orthopedic brace worn around the right patella provided in example 1;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the orthopedic brace worn around the right patella provided in example 1;

fig. 3 is a top view of the orthopedic support provided in example 1 when deployed flat;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the communication between the bone support and the remote server through the mobile device and a schematic view of the sensor distribution inembodiment 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic circuit diagram of the orthopedic support provided in example 1;

FIG. 6 is a multi-curve graph of sensor signals in the orthopaedic stent provided in example 1;

FIG. 7 is a temperature dispersion diagram of the orthopedic stent provided in example 1;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the orthopedic brace worn about the right ankle joint provided in example 2;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the orthopedic support worn about the right elbow provided in example 3;

the numbers in the figures are as follows: 100. orthopedic stents (of example 1); 102. a knee joint; 104. an upper transverse belt; 106. a lower transverse belt; 108. the right tibia and the lower leg; 110. a plastic ring; 112. a right thigh; 114. a snap fastener; 120. top view of example 1; 122. a long top; 124. a long bottom; 126. a narrow portion; 128. a first wing; 130. a second wing; 132. a third wing; 134. a fourth wing; 148. a first wing thermal imaging camera; 150. a top infrared sensor (thermal sensor); 152. a top tension sensor; 154. a haptic vibration motor; 156. an audio speaker; 158. a narrow portion thermal imaging camera; 160. a flexible sensor; 162. a left narrow infrared sensor; 164. a right narrow portion infrared sensor; 166. a third wing thermal imaging camera; 170. a bottom tension sensor; 172. a rectangular antenna coil; 180. schematic representation of theorthopedic brace 100 in communication with a remote server; 182. a microcontroller; 183. biofeedback; 184. a mobile device; 198. an application server; 200. a hospital; 204. a clinician; 210. a circuit schematic diagram of an orthopedic stent prototype; 212. arduino Uno version 03; 214. bluetooth Mate Silver; 216. an IMU 3000; 220. a multi-curve plot of sensor signals; 222. an amplitude axis; 224. a time axis; 226. a temperature profile; 228. swelling (displacement) curve; 230. a color curve; 232. a range of motion curve; 240. a temperature divergence map; 242. a group of basic lines; 244. a control group; 246. a set of inflamed infrapatellar fossae; 260. orthopedic stents (of example 2); 262. an aperture; 264. a heel section; 270. orthopedic stents (of example 3); 272. the right elbow.

Detailed Description

The technical solution of the present invention will be further clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

Example 1

Please refer to fig. 1 to 7: the embodiment provides an orthopedic support, includes: at least one holder for fitting to a body part; at least one lesion detector connected to the at least one holder for obtaining biomedical parameters of inflammation or other lesion symptoms.

At least one of the anchors includes a detachable fastening device to facilitate removal of the at least one anchor from the body part. The removable fastening device includes open ends that are separable to wrap around a body part. At least one of the anchors includes a flexible portion for conforming to the contours of the associated body part.

Referring again to fig. 1 and 2, theorthopedic brace 100 of the present embodiment is fixed by an upper transverse strap 104 (corresponding to a fixator) surrounding a right thigh 112 (corresponding to a body part) and a lower transverse strap 106 (corresponding to a fixator) surrounding a right tibia and a lower leg 108 (corresponding to a body part). The upper and lowerlateral straps 104, 106 use snap fasteners 114 (equivalent to removable fixation means) that pass through two separate plastic rings 110 (equivalent to open ends) that secure the wornorthopedic brace 100.

Referring again to fig. 3, theorthopedic support 100 of the present embodiment has a flexible membrane, and fig. 3 is a top view of theorthopedic support 100 of the present embodiment in a flat unfolded state, i.e., a top view corresponding to a state where the flexible membrane is laid flat and opened, wherein the shape of the flexible membrane (corresponding to the flexible portion) is similar to the capital letter "L" or an hourglass having a four-wing shape. The flexible membrane has a longtop portion 122 and along bottom portion 124 with anarrow portion 126 in the middle, afirst wing 128 on the upper left side of the longtop portion 122, asecond wing 130 on the upper right side of the longtop portion 122, athird wing 132 on the lower left side of thelong bottom portion 124, and afourth wing 134 on the lower right side of thelong bottom portion 124.

In this embodiment, the respective heights of the longtop portion 122 and thelong bottom portion 124 are about 70 millimeters (70 mm). The internal length of thenarrow portion 126 is about 80 millimeters (80 mm). The length of each of longtop portion 122 andlong bottom portion 124 is about 300 millimeters (300 mm). The distance between the two edges of thelong top 122 and thelong bottom 124 is about 200 millimeters (200 mm). The height 140 of thenarrow portion 126 is about 60 millimeters (60 mm). Both sides of thenarrow portion 126 have curved perimeters. The corners of the flexible membrane are rounded.

In this embodiment, the flexible membrane (corresponding to the flexible portion) is composed of an inner layer and an outer layer. Each layer has a hidden side and an exposed side. The exposed face of the inner layer is in intimate contact with the right leg, while the hidden face of the inner layer faces the opposite side, particularly the hidden face of the outer layer. Whenorthopedic brace 100 is worn as shown in fig. 1, the exposed surface of the outer layer of the flexible membrane is the outer surface. In this embodiment,orthopedic brace 100 is worn with longtop portion 122 surroundingright thigh 112 andlong bottom portion 124 surrounding right tibia andlower leg 108. Thenarrow portion 126 reveals the right patella, which is therefore not covered by the flexible membrane.

In this embodiment, theupper cross-belt 104 is on the exposed surface of the outer layer of the flexible membrane, particularly at thelong top 122. The uppertransverse band 104 is flexible and has a length of about 250 millimeters (250 mm). A first half of the length of thelong top 122 is stitched to the exposed face of the outer layer of the flexible membrane at about 30mm (30mm) from the top edge of the long top and at its center (150mm), which is about 120mm (120 mm). The first half of theupper cross belt 104 is sewn to the right half of thelong top 122 as viewed from the exposed face of the outer layer. The second half of the length is not sewn, but is hung to the right of thelong top 122.

The uppertransverse belt 104 is threaded through theplastic ring 110 and sewn to the uppertransverse belt 104 such that theplastic ring 110 is secured to one end of the first half of the uppertransverse belt 104. The end length of the first half of the uppertransverse band 104 used to encircle theplastic ring 110 is about 20 millimeters (20 mm). Theplastic ring 110 is located at the center or 150 millimeters (150mm) of thelong top 122.

In this embodiment, a fur strap (not shown) may be provided on the outer surface of the uppertransverse belt 104, particularly over the first half of the length. A small strap (not shown) may be provided along the length of the second half, and the hair and small straps may form a hook andloop fastener 114 or other similar fastener.

The lowertransverse strap 106 is on the exposed face of the outer layer of the flexible membrane, particularly at thelong base 124. The lowertransverse belt 106 has the same size and configuration as the uppertransverse belt 104. The only difference is that the first half of the lowertransverse belt 106 is sewn at the left half of thelong base 124 as viewed from the exposed face of the outer layer. The second half of the length of the lowertransverse belt 106 is not sewn, but is instead suspended to the left of thelong base 124.

Referring to fig. 1 to 3, when theorthopedic brace 100 of the present embodiment is assembled, the uppertransverse strap 104 is fixed to thelong top 122 wrapping around theright thigh 112, and the lowertransverse strap 106 is fixed to thelong bottom 124 wrapping around the right tibia and thelower leg 108, so that theorthopedic brace 100 is assembled to the right leg of the human body.

The utility model discloses in, at least one pathological change detector includes temperature sensor, color sensor, bending sensor, stretch sensor, geographical position sensor, humidity transducer, motion sensor, displacement sensor, acceleration sensor, gravity sensor, gyroscope sensor, pulse sensor, oxygen saturation sensor, blood pressure sensor, arbitrary one or arbitrary several kinds of combination among the touch sensor. And at least one lesion detector comprises a plurality of same type sensors operable to calibrate differences between output values of the plurality of same type sensors with respect to each other. The plurality of sensors of the same type, including a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, may be used to measure temperature values at different locations of the joint and surrounding tissue in order to discover lesions. The plurality of sensors of the same type, including a first color sensor and a second color sensor, may be used to monitor color at different locations of the joint in order to discover a lesion. Referring again to fig. 1-4, the present embodiment is provided with a first wing thermal imaging camera 148 (corresponding to a color sensor) at thelong top 122, particularly at thefirst wing 128; a top infrared sensor (thermal sensor) 150 (corresponding to a temperature sensor) is provided on the right side of the first wing thermal imaging camera 148; atop tension sensor 152 is provided in the middle of thelong top 122 near the edge; on the left edge of thenarrow portion 126, near the curved perimeter, a narrow portion thermal imaging camera 158 is provided; a flexible sensor 160 (corresponding to a bending sensor) is provided in the middle of thenarrow portion 126; a left narrow portion infrared sensor 162 and a right narrow portion infrared sensor 164 are provided near the left edge and the right edge of thenarrow portion 126, respectively; at thelong bottom 124, in particular at thethird wing 132, a third wing thermal imaging camera 166 is provided; a bottom tension sensor 170 is provided in the middle of thelong bottom 124 near the edges. The thermal imaging camera and the infrared sensor in the present embodiment may be replaced by a thermistor, a thermocouple, or any other thermal measurement device.

Furthermore, the orthopedic support of the present invention further comprises: a microprocessor connected to the at least one lesion detector for processing signals from the at least one lesion detector; a computer memory coupled to the microprocessor for storing the signal; a communication terminal, further connected to the microprocessor, for transmitting signals; a connector additionally connected to the microprocessor for powering the microprocessor.

Referring to fig. 2 again, theorthopedic support 100 of the present embodiment is provided with a microcontroller 182 (equivalent to a microprocessor and a computer memory), referring to fig. 4 again, themicrocontroller 182 is connected to a thermal imaging camera 148/158/166, aninfrared sensor 150/162/164, aflexible sensor 160 and a stretchingsensor 152/170 (the thermal imaging camera, the infrared sensor, the flexible sensor and the stretching sensor are equivalent to a lesion detector), themicrocontroller 182 is further connected to a rectangular antenna coil 172 (the operating frequency is 13.56MHz (Mega-Hertz), the voltage is 0.25 volt), and therectangular antenna coil 172 is connected to amobile device 184; the thermal imaging camera 148/158/166, theinfrared sensor 150/162/164, theflexible sensor 160, and thestretch sensor 152/170 are used to acquire external parameters (color, temperature, force) and input the acquired external parameters to themicrocontroller 182, the parameters are processed and transmitted to therectangular antenna coil 172 by themicrocontroller 182, and then the acquired and processed parameters are wirelessly transmitted to the user's mobile device 184 (equivalent to a communication terminal) via therectangular antenna coil 172. In actual use, themicrocontroller 182 and the thermal imaging camera 148/158/166, theinfrared sensor 150/162/164, theflexible sensor 160, and thetension sensor 152/170 may be integrated into a flexible printed circuit (flex circuit), and then the integrated flexible printed circuit (flex circuit) may be mounted on a holder, e.g., a flexible film; the flexible printed circuit may extend out of a connector (not shown), which may be a Universal Serial Bus (Universal Serial Bus) mini-a having a width of 6.8 mm and a height of 1.8 to 03 mm, through which the parameters of the process may also be transmitted to themobile device 184. Further, a desktop computer may be used instead of themobile device 184.

In addition,orthopedic support 100 also includes an indicator coupled to the microprocessor for alerting a user of the orthopedic support. The indicator may comprise an audio indicator, a visual indicator, a vibratory/tactile indicator or a combination of these indicators. Referring again to fig. 4 and 5, themicrocontroller 182 is connected to a biofeedback 183 (shown in fig. 4 as an indicator), and thebiofeedback 183 includes ahaptic vibration motor 154, anaudio speaker 156, and an indicator light emitting diode (shown in fig. 5).

In addition, theorthopedic brace 100 can also include a reusable rechargeable battery connected to the connector to power the microprocessor, for example, a3 volt lithium button cell (not shown, CR2032 button cell, 20mm in diameter and 3.2 mm in thickness) can be provided in the middle of thelong base 124 in this embodiment.

When the patient uses the orthopedic support of the present embodiment, the patient can be connected to a remote server through themobile device 184, so that the patient can communicate with a remotely located doctor. Referring specifically to FIG. 4, themobile device 184 is connected to anapplication server 198 of the hospital, which in turn is connected to ahospital 200 and aclinician 204, respectively. A corresponding software application (app) may be installed on themobile device 184 to accept user input and display and provide instructional information to the user. Themobile device 184 may be a smartphone, tablet computer, or laptop computer. Themobile device 184 may contain a microphone 188 and a camera 190 to enable a user to communicate voice and video with a remotely locatedclinician 204; themobile device 184 may also contain a keypad 192 that enables a user to enter information using the keypad on a touch screen, including a small LCD screen, a speaker (e.g., buzzer), an electrical stimulator and a heater; themobile device 184 also has a module that is capable of communicating with the remote server 194. Themobile device 184 communicates with theapplication server 198 of thehospital 200 through a remote server provided by an Internet Service Provider (Internet Service Provider) to realize data transmission; theapplication server 198 may be a hosted appointment management system, and a patient information system accessible to both the user and theclinician 204; access to information by the user andclinician 204 is controlled and limited by different levels of access, the user being able to enter through a software application on theirmobile device 184 and view past records. The user may also view and select the bookable time on theremote application server 198; theclinician 204 may be a physician in a hospital or other medical facility, who is able to read the results sent by theorthopaedic brace 100 via a computer, which uses a calculator similar to the usermobile device 184, also containing a camera, microphone and keyboard.

The present invention is provided with amicrocontroller 182, which can be a general controller in the market, for example: ATMega328, specifically, please refer to fig. 5, fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of the orthopedic support using Arduino Uno in the present embodiment; wherein theArduino Uno 212 is an ATMega328 based microcontroller board, and the ATMega328 is themicrocontroller 182.

As can be seen In fig. 5,Arduino Uno 212 has fourteen input/output (input/output) pins, six of which may be used as Pulse width modulation (Pulse width modulation) outputs and six of which may be used as analog inputs, a 16MHz ceramic resonator, a Universal Serial Bus (Universal Serial Bus) connection, a power jack, an In-circuit Serial Programming (In-circuit Serial Programming) connector, and a reset button; pulse width modulation is a technique for controlling an analog circuit using digital output of a microprocessor; the working voltage of theArduino Uno 212 is 05 volts, the clock frequency is 16MHz, the input voltage range is 07-12 volts, the direct current of each input/output pin is 40mA, and the direct current of the 3.3 volt pin is 50 mA; theArduino Uno chip 212 also has 32 kilobyte (kilhbyte) flash memory (FLASHmemory), 02 kilobyte SRAM, and 01 kilobyte EEPROM.

TheArduino Uno 212 may be used as a prototype board that includes a Serial Data Line (Serial Data Line) and a Serial Clock Line (Serial Clock Line) pin, including two digital pins, that conform to the Inter-Integrated Circuit (Inter-Integrated Circuit) standard, which is a multi-master, multi-slave, packet-switched (packet-switched), single-ended, Serial computer bus.

TheArduino Uno 212 has six analog inputs, each providing 10-bit resolution (i.e., 1024 different values); by default, the input measurement is from ground to 05 volts.

As can be seen from fig. 5, the circuit comprises three thermistors IR1, IR2 and IR3, which are respectively connected to the thermal imaging cameras 148, 158 and 166, respectively, the negative leads of the three thermistors IR1, IR2 and IR3 are connected to different input pins of theArduino Uno 212, while the positive leads thereof are connected to a 3.3 volt direct current (direct current) supply voltage, it being noted that the 3.3 volt supply voltage may be generated by an on-board regulator (not shown) of the Arduino Uno prototype board. In addition, the circuit also comprises three resistors R1, R2 and R3 with the resistance value of 10 kilo-ohms (kilo-ohm), which are correspondingly connected with theinfrared sensors 150, 162 and 164 respectively, and are connected with the negative leads of the three thermistors IR1, IR2 and IR3 respectively. Meanwhile, the circuit also comprises a flexible resistor R9 with the resistance value of 10 kilo-ohms, which is correspondingly connected with theflexible sensor 160, one lead of theflexible sensor 160 is connected to a 3.3-volt power supply voltage, and the corresponding lead is connected to the flexible resistor R9, in the embodiment, the resistors R1, R2, R2 and R9 are pull-down resistors, and the opposite leads of the resistors R1, R2, R3 and R9 are changed into the ground (ground) represented by an inverted triangle.

In fig. 5, the IMU 3000216 is an inertial sensor chip, which is a motion processing unit, to which the tension sensors 152,170 are connected, respectively, and also to theArduino Uno 212. The IMU 3000216 receives a clock line (clock line) signal and a data line (data line) fromArduino Uno 212, and is connected to the corresponding clock line and data line ofArduino Uno 212, respectively, where the data line (data line) is a bidirectional data line, and IMU 3000216 is powered by a 05 volt dc power supply, and allows an external clock frequency of 32.768kHz square wave or 19.2MHz square wave.

In fig. 5, theBluetooth Mate Silver 214 is a Bluetooth chip, which is connected with arectangular antenna coil 172, and is connected with amobile device 184, such as a Bluetooth terminal (corresponding to a communication terminal) of a mobile phone, and the chip is powered by a 05 v dc power supply, and has a built-in antenna, and can operate in different frequency ranges, such as Wi-Fi, 802.11g and Zigbee. TX and RX ofBluetooth Mate Silver 214 are connected to different pins ofArduino Uno 212, respectively.Arduino Uno 212 provides universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (non-asynchronous receiver-transmitter) transistor-transistor logic (5 volt) serial communication that may be used on the digital pin ofArduino Uno 212.

As shown in fig. 5, theArduino Uno 212 has different output pins respectively connected to ahaptic feedback motor 154, anaudio speaker 156, a red indicating Light Emitting Diode (LED) 1, an LED1 with a wavelength of 633 nm (nanometers), a green indicating light emitting diode (LED 2), and an LED2 with a wavelength of 570 nm (nanometerss). The two resistors R7, R10 have leads with a resistance of 330 ohms, each connected to the negative leads of the twoLEDs 1, 2, respectively, and the other leads of the resistors R7, R10 are grounded (ground). Thehaptic feedback motor 154,audio speaker 156, light emitting diode LED1, LED2 collectively comprise the indicator, namelybiofeedback 183.

Theorthopaedic brace 100 according to this embodiment is worn in use at the knee joint 102 and is fixed by an uppertransverse strap 104 and a lower transverse strap 106: upper and lowertransverse straps 104 and 106 are sewn to the flexible membrane from opposite directions to equalize the distribution of the torsional forces at the thigh and shin andcalf 108 and to maintain the integrity of the flexible membrane oforthopedic brace 100, uppertransverse strap 104 being sewn biased to the left (first wing) to pullright thigh 112 to the outside of the right leg and lowertransverse strap 106 being sewn biased to the right (fourth wing) to pull right shin andcalf 108 to the inside of the right leg.

Sinceorthopedic brace 100 is worn around the leg, stretch sensors 152,170 provide stretch readings of longtop portion 122 andlong bottom portion 124, and in particular, the degree of stretch of the quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles, and stretch sensors 152,170 can detect joint swelling caused by excessive fluid accumulation in or around the joint. For example, knee swelling due to fluid accumulation (knee effusion) can be the result of trauma, overuse injury or underlying disease, knee swelling can cause swelling symptoms, pain and limited range of motion. The stretch sensors 152,170 may also be added on thenarrow portion 126 of the flexible diaphragm for more accurate readings.

The stretch sensors 152,170 in this embodiment are silicon rubber stretch sensors, which are flexible capacitors whose change in capacitance is correlated to their geometry according to the parallel plate equation, thereby providing accurate information about the change in shape:

where C is the capacitance of the stretch sensor 152,170, A is the surface area, D is the thickness, ε o is the absolute permittivity, and ε r is the relative permittivity of the dielectric layer. Thus, the capacitance of the stretch sensors 152,170 is proportional to the area of the parallel flexible electrodes and inversely proportional to the distance between the flexible electrode layers. Stretching of the stretch sensors 152,170 will cause changes in both area and thickness, and such deformation will cause a measurable change in capacitance. In this embodiment, a variable tensile resistor may be used instead of the silicone rubber tensile sensor.

Theflexible sensor 160 in theorthopaedic brace 100 may detect the range of motion of the knee joint 102, which is typically reduced if there is fluid accumulation in the joint. Aflexible sensor 160 is located in the middle of the flexible diaphragm and provides readings regarding the extent of the occlusion (extension and flexion) between the femur and tibia. In this embodiment, theflexible sensor 160 uses switches of thin film sensing technology, allowing mechanical movement and even vibration to be measured. Theflexible sensor 160 contains a coated substrate that changes conductivity when bent, and the readings taken from theflexible sensor 160 will be interpreted as electrical signals and associated outputs generated by the integrated circuit.

Theinfrared sensors 150, 162, 164 in theorthopaedic stent 100 may convert infrared energy into electrical signals, in particular thermal type infrared sensors. Theinfrared sensors 150, 162, 164 may measure human skin temperature. Infrared sensors, including thermocouples and thermistor bolometers, provide constant sensitivity over a wide range of wavelengths. The wavelength at which the human body has the largest response is 09 to 10 micrometers (μm). Thus, ideally, theinfrared sensors 150, 162, 164 should have a constant spectral density in the infrared range of 03 to 20 micrometers (μm).

The thermal imaging cameras 148, 158, 166 in theorthopaedic stent 100 may focus infrared radiation emitted from the skin surface within the field of view onto theinfrared sensors 150, 162, 164. The thermal imaging camera is capable of detecting skin temperatures in the range of 23 to 33 degrees celsius, its lens for infrared operation is made of silicon and is anti-reflective coated. The function of the thermal imaging camera 148, 158, 166 is to scan the skin surface and reflect thermal characteristics of the skin onto theinfrared sensor 150, 162, 164. Generally speaking, the body temperature rises and the skin turns red in color, so that the thermal imaging camera 148, 158, 166 in combination with theinfrared sensor 150, 162, 164 can measure the temperature and color of the skin near the joint.

The stretch sensors 152,170 are connected to an inertial sensor chip IMU 3000216, the IMU 3000216 including three independent vibratable micro-electronic and micro-electromechanical systems (micro electronic and micro electromechanical systems) rate gyroscopic (rate gyroscopic) capable of detecting rotation about the X, Y and Z axes; when the gyroscope is rotated about any sensing axis, the Coriolis Effect will cause vibrations that are detected by the capacitive sensors, and the resulting signals are amplified, demodulated and filtered to produce a voltage proportional to angular velocity. The voltage is digitized using a separate on-chip 16-bit Analog-to-Digital (Analog-to-Digital) to sample each axis. The IMU 3000216 also includes a digital motion processor and I2C serial communication interfaces (SDA and SCL) that provide communication with third party devices, such as accelerometers. The stretch sensors 152,170 in cooperation with theflexibility sensor 160 may detect the range of motion and swelling displacement of theknee joint 102.

Themicrocontroller 182 andArduino Uno 212 in theorthopedic support 100 can process the data acquired by the thermal imaging camera 148/158/166, theinfrared sensor 150/162/164, theflexible sensor 160, and thetension sensor 152/170 and send the processed data to therectangular antenna coil 172.

Therectangular antenna coil 172 in theorthopaedic stand 100 has a structure for wireless transmission of signals, therectangular antenna coil 172 and the reader (the reader is in themobile device 184, e.g., a smartphone) are inductors coupled to each other by a magnetic field, similar to a voltage transformer; the inductance of therectangular antenna coil 172 is represented by the following equation:

where d is the average diameter of the coil, K1 is a constant of 2.34, K2 is a constant of 2.75, N is the number of turns, and d is in millimeters and is derived from

Where dout is the coil outer diameter 276 (as viewed from above) and din is the coil inner diameter 278;

if the latter is used, therectangular antenna coil 172 provides an additional antenna in addition to theBluetooth Mate Silver 214 chip. TheBluetooth Mate Silver 214, in turn, may provide wireless communication to a user's mobile device (e.g., a smart phone) with a built-in antenna capable of operating in different frequency ranges, such as Wi-Fi, 802.11g, and ZigBee. Thus, therectangular antenna coil 172 and theBluetooth Mate Silver 214 can transmit the processed data to the user's mobile device.

Audio speaker 156 inbiofeedback 183 may provide audio feedback to the user; in the event that the sensor is unable to take a reading from the user, the algorithm in themicrocontroller 182 will send audio information to theaudio speaker 156, thereby notifying the user; the audio speaker may also alert and guide the user in performing tasks such as application, maintenance, data collection and diagnostic tasks, and limb actions performed to promote rehabilitation; the trigger and audible output may be modified arbitrarily. Thehaptic vibration motor 154 provides physical feedback to the user, which can be triggered by physical vibrations, based on the same principles as theaudio speaker 156. The light emitting diodes LED1, LED2 provide color feedback to the user. Thehaptic vibration motor 154, theaudio speaker 156, and the light emitting diodes LED1/LED2 together form thebiofeedback 183.

In addition, the power source of theorthopedic support 100 in this embodiment may be a button battery or a rechargeable battery, which may be charged by using a non-contact technology in an inductive manner to provide continuous working power for theorthopedic support 100. Based on the above principle, the state of theknee joint 102 of the leg can be detected by using theorthopedic support 100, and the specific detection result is shown in fig. 6 and 7.

Fig. 6 is agraph 220 of multiple curves measured using the orthopedic stent of the present embodiment, with data from various sensors (corresponding to lesion detectors) inorthopedic stent 100. The y-axis of the graph is theamplitude axis 222, the x-axis is thetime axis 224, the vertical arrows in the y-axis direction indicate increasing amplitude, and the horizontal arrows in the x-axis direction indicate increasing time. The chart may be presented on a display screen of a smartphone or on a display screen of a computing server. The graph provides four curves representing atemperature curve 226, aswelling curve 228, acolor curve 230, and a range of motion curve 232 (flexion and extension) between the femur and tibia-fibula, respectively. Wherein thetemperature profile 226 represents the temperature change around the patella; theswelling curve 228 represents the degree of swelling around theknee 102; thecolor curve 230 provides the color of the skin around the patella (e.g., normal skin color versus inflamed red skin, the change in skin color being determined by the decrease in wavelength received by the thermal imaging camera); therange curve 232 represents the range of motion of theknee joint 102. The swollen joints inhibit movement, thereby reducing the range of motion, and inflammation causes swelling and increased body temperature around the affected joints, so that, in the inflamed joints, the body temperature increases, the swelling increases, the skin turns red in color, and the range of motion decreases. Collecting, storing and analyzing these data may indicate whether there is inflammation in the knee joint 102, e.g., at time axis x1, four curves show deviation from normal horizontal trend, indicating that the joint begins to swell.

Fig. 7 is atemperature spread graph 240, i.e., a temperature profile for an inflamedpatellar fossa group 246, a temperature profile for a control group 244, and a temperature profile for abaseline group 242. In the figure, the x-axis represents time in seconds and the y-axis represents temperature in degrees celsius. Body temperature forbaseline group 242 is obtained from the average temperature of subjects without knee trauma and is represented in the upper graph by the solid line or lowest line relative to the temperature axis. The body temperature of the control group 244 was obtained from the average temperature of knee pain patients who were taking anti-inflammatory drugs and is indicated in the upper graph by a dotted line or a middle line with respect to the temperature axis. The temperature curve for the infrapatellar fossainflamed group 246 is plotted as a dotted line, or as the highest line relative to the temperature axis in the graph. The above temperatures were measured from the oral cavity over a period of time using a digital thermometer. As shown by the time axis in the figure, all three groups begin collecting temperature data at the 1 st second mark, with an initial average temperature of 36.4 degrees celsius; at the 5 th second mark, the three temperature profiles begin to diverge. The aforementioned deviations are due to delays or lags in the sensor andmicrocontroller 182 processing signals.

From fig. 6 and 7, it can be determined whether there is an abnormal or inflammatory condition in theknee joint 102 of the leg of the user using theorthopedic support 100, and thus, theorthopedic support 100 can be worn on the human body, and can detect signs of inflammation and abnormal movement representing typical joint diseases in a longitudinal manner, thereby having a therapeutic guiding effect.

Example 2

Please refer to fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8: the present embodiment provides an orthopedic support, which is different fromembodiment 1 only in that: theorthopaedic brace 260 is worn around the right ankle joint (obscured by the orthopaedic brace 260), and since the main bones in the ankle area are the talus (in the foot) and the tibia and fibula (distal end of the leg), the configuration of theorthopaedic brace 260 includes ahole 262 in the narrow portion of the flexible membrane that allows the heel 264 (calcaneus) to pass through thehole 262.

The use of theskeletal support 260 of this embodiment may be severely limited by pain for injured ankles, dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, eversion and rotation, and relaxation may then be observed.

When the ankle joint detecting device is used, theskeleton support 260 is worn at the ankle joint and then fixed by the uppertransverse belt 104 and the lowertransverse belt 106, and the working principle and the detecting and using mode of the ankle joint detecting device are the same as those ofembodiment 1.

Example 3

Please refer to fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9: the present embodiment provides an orthopedic support, which is different fromembodiment 1 only in that: the orthopedic brace 270 is worn around the right elbow 272.

When the multifunctional wrist brace is used, theframework bracket 260 is worn at the position of the right elbow 272 and then fixed by the uppertransverse belt 104 and the lowertransverse belt 106, and the working principle and the detection and use mode are the same as those ofembodiment 1.

Theorthopaedic stents 100, 260, 270 of the above embodiments are methods for gathering important information about the user's joint. The user may be a patient. Important information will be sent to themobile device 184, and themobile device 184 may be a smart phone. The smartphone itself has a software application that is able to communicate with theorthopaedic stand 100, 260, 270 by wireless technology, such as Wi-Fi or bluetooth or near field communication (near field communication). The Wi-Fi operating frequency is 2.4/5GHz, the Bluetooth operating frequency is 2.4GHz, and the near field communication operating frequency is 13.56 MHz. Wi-Fi communication requires a router, while Bluetooth and near field communication do not. Using near field communication is preferred if low power consumption is important. Conversely, if there is sufficient power, bluetooth may be used, for example, to connect to mains power and step down the voltage using a transformer.

Collecting data (i.e., self-diagnosing) of joints throughout the body using theskeletal support 100, 260, 270 of the above-described embodiment includes the steps of:

1) first opening the orthopaedic brace and placing theorthopaedic brace 100, 260, 270 around the joint (knee, elbow or ankle or all above): thefirst wing 128 passes over thesecond wing 130 and thethird wing 132 passes over thefourth wing 134, and then theorthopedic brace 100, 260, 270 is firmly secured by strapping the upper and lowertransverse straps 104, 106; for further fixation,snap fasteners 114 may be sewn to the fourwings 128, 130, 132, 134, particularly at the inner layer;

2) activating a software application program (App) on the smart phone, wherein the smart phone wirelessly communicates with theorthopedic supports 100, 260 and 270 through Bluetooth in a short distance, andApp 1 can contain information of a user, wherein the information comprises the name, surname, date and year of birth, sex, medical history and the like of the user; this information may be read from theapplication server 198 in thehospital 200 via a Wi-Fi network and Internet service provider (Internet service provider), or the information may be stored in the memory of the smartphone; the App acquires the user joint data, and uploads the data to anapplication server 198 of ahospital 200 through a data network provided by a Wi-Fi network and an Internet service provider; theclinician 204 responsible for the user's medical records will study the data at his or her own time; in the present invention, as shown in fig. 4, remote server 194 may be hosted by an internet service provider that controls the flow of data from the smart phone to its intended recipient, and vice versa, the internet service provider may also be a telecommunications company that provides telephony and data services.

The method for assembling theorthopedic support 100, 260, 270 in this embodiment is as follows:

1) providing a flexible membrane having an inner layer and an outer layer;

2) sewing the uppertransverse strap 104 to the exposed face of the outer layer at thelong top 122 of the flexible film sheet; then, sewing the lowertransverse strap 106 to the exposed face of the outer layer at thelong base 124, wherein the upper and lowertransverse straps 104, 106 have thesnap fasteners 114 and theplastic loops 110 sewn thereon;

3) a flexible circuit is fixedly mounted on the hidden surface of the outer layer of the flexible membrane, the flexible circuit integrating a sensor (for example: thermal imaging camera 148/158/166,infrared sensor 150/162/164,flexibility sensor 160, andstretch sensor 152/170), a device chip (e.g.:bluetooth Mate Silver 214, IMU 3000216), power source, indicator (e.g.:speaker 156 and haptic vibration motor 154), storage and processing units (e.g.: microcontroller 182), etc.;

4) placing the inner layer on the outer layer such that the flexible circuit is sandwiched between the inner and outer layers;

5) and sewing the outer layer and the inner layer to obtain theorthopedic support 100, 260 and 270.

The obtainedorthopedic support 100, 260, 270 can be suitable for three joints (knee joint, elbow joint, ankle joint), and themicrocontroller 182 can identify the position of theorthopedic support 100, 260, 270, so as to detect and process data at different joints, and further determine health or inflammation states at different joints.

It is finally necessary to point out here: the above description is only for the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope of the present invention should be covered by the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. An orthopedic support, comprising:

at least one holder for fitting to a body part;

at least one lesion detector connected to the at least one holder for obtaining biomedical parameters of a lesion symptom.

2. The orthopedic support of claim 1, wherein: the at least one lesion detector comprises any one or combination of any several of a temperature sensor, a color sensor, a bending sensor, a stretching sensor, a geographical position sensor, a humidity sensor, a motion sensor, a displacement sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gravity sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a pulse sensor, an oxygen saturation sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a pressure sensor and a touch sensor.

3. The orthopedic support of claim 1, wherein: the at least one lesion detector includes a first detector for fitting to a first part of the human body and a second detector for fitting to a second part of the human body.

4. The orthopedic support of claim 3, wherein: the at least one anchor includes a first anchor for fitting to a reference site of the human body and a second anchor for fitting to an injured site of the human body; the first and second detectors are fitted to the human body by the first and second holders, respectively.

5. The orthopedic support of claim 1, wherein: at least one lesion detector includes a plurality of same type sensors for calibrating a difference between output values of the plurality of same type sensors with each other.

6. The orthopedic support of claim 5, wherein: the plurality of same type sensors includes a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor for measuring temperature values at different locations of the joint and surrounding tissue in order to discover lesions.

7. The orthopedic support of claim 5, wherein: the plurality of same type sensors includes a first color sensor and a second color sensor for monitoring color at different locations of the joint for finding a lesion.

8. The orthopedic support of claim 1, wherein: at least one of the anchors includes a detachable fastening device to facilitate removal of the at least one anchor from the body part.

9. The orthopedic support of claim 1, wherein: at least one of the anchors includes a flexible portion for conforming to the contours of the associated body part.

10. The orthopedic stent of claim 1, further comprising:

a microprocessor connected to the at least one lesion detector for processing signals from the at least one lesion detector;

a computer memory coupled to the microprocessor for storing the signal;

a communication terminal, further connected to the microprocessor, for transmitting signals;

a connector additionally connected to the microprocessor for powering the microprocessor.

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